Ghostfacers--Curse of the Intern
by SlugMamma
Summary: The Ghostfacers are at it again, doing what they do best – facing ghosts! But now they have a new intern, Lana! What they don't know though, is that she has secrets of a hunting past...
1. Chapter 1

_A.N.: I don't own the Ghostfacers, Bobby, or Cas. I do own everyone else in this story! If you like the Ghostfacers and Cas, this is the story for you my friend! And I'm not trying to fool anyone so I'll just say it, sorry, this story has zippo for Sam and Dean._

My breath is hot like a fire...

But my lips are frozen cold.

The girls lay me down on the couch in Bobby's cabin, and I know I must look bad from the expression on their faces. My gaze travels to Bobby, who's standing a ways away, his face grim. He's been like an uncle to me, looked out for me, looked out for all of us. Taught us everything there was to know about being a hunter. I know who he will call.

But do I want him to come?

 _He probably won't come, when did he ever before when you called him?_ I think coldly.

 _But if he doesn't come you'll die_ , whispers a small voice in my head, its hiss causing a stab of fear to slice through my chest. I suck in another breath of air, my sight and hearing dim, making everything misty and indistinguishable. It's out of my hands now. But whatever, if it's my time to go, then that's the way it is. This line of work comes with a death waver. I do feel a little bit stupid though, it's my fault I got bit.

"Why did you hide yourself from me?" I hear a familiar voice call. _You're imagining things. Delusional._

But his hands are all too real when he touches me.

"She's been bit by an Illusionist." I hear Bobby say distantly.

Then I feel his hands anxiously tug at the zipper of my leather jacket and pull it away from my body. _Wow, you're fresh._ I think, trying to keep myself from blacking out.

What happens next however, is no laughing matter.

I groan and grit my teeth as a white light erupts from his hand. My insides feel like they're on fire, like he's torching them right out of me.

And then it's done.

I blink, clearing my vision, and his worried face is the first thing I see.

"Cas?" I manage, all my energy drained away by the poison and pain.

"Are you alright?" He asks softly.

I pant a bit, then sink deeper into the couch. "Yeah...yeah."

Suddenly I am wrapped in a hug. My eyes widen, Castiel never seemed like the huggy type. When he pulls away his blue eyes are filled with worry and guilt is lying somewhere in his lips.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, scanning the room. Only Brandi, my older sister is still around, but as soon as she catches my gaze, she smiles and gives a thumbs up before leaving Cas and me in private.

"Bobby Singer called me. What were you doing fighting Illusionists? If Bobby hadn't...I almost didn't get to you in time." His hands rest gently on my forearms.

I sigh and don't answer, my eyes closing, shutting away that face that brings up to many memories.

His hands slide off my arms. "I understand...you are tired. I'll help you to your bed." He says softly, his voice low.

I slowly get up, waving him off, but when the floor starts spinning, he wraps an arm around my shoulders anyways.

"I have a question of my own." I say when we make it to my bed. "Why didn't you ever answer my calls?"

He looks to the floor, then turns away from me and walks to the window. "I didn't want to endanger you by making contact…" Then his jaw tenses. "I had no idea you were taking care of that just fine by yourself." His last words grind off in a halt, his tone condescending and one notch away from bitter.

Ah, it seems he's still struggling to understand my lifestyle choices. Like I had any choice. First time I saw him was also the first time I saw the Supernatural. After that, after my friends and I knew about what was really out there, we wanted to defend ourselves. We really sucked at first. We got into a real bad spot one hunt when Bobby Singer came and saved us. Ever since then, he's been training my sister, my best friend and I how to be real hunters. "Phsst, yeah whatever." I roll onto the bed and kick off my boots.

Cas turns his head and looks at me again, his gaze suddenly softer. "It is good to see you again, Lana."

He is just as handsome as ever, those blue eyes just the same as that night we stood together on that beach in… _No, don't even let yourself think about it for a second. He doesn't care about you any more than anyone else. He's an angel...it's been two years._

 _But still..._ My eyes shift and finally with a grunt, I put aside my anger and tell him how I really feel. "It's good to see you again too." I say quietly.

A hint of a smile plays across his face, but quickly disappears. "I have to go, I wish I had more time to speak with you. I will return when I can." He says, walking a few steps closer to me.

I nod. "See you later."

He hesitates a moment…and then he's gone.

"Yeah, yeah, just poof away you ass..." I grumble, squirming around in my bed for a better position. It's been two years since I first met Castiel. Since I saw him last too.

He promised he'd never forget me. But he never came when I called. And it's not like I called him when I was lonely or something, only in emergencies! I squeeze my eyes shut tightly at the memory of one time in particular. The girls and I were in a heap of trouble, we were all badly wounded.

I called, I cried, I screamed...he never showed.

After that, I decided, screw him. We'd met once, it meant nothing. So I got a protection spell placed on all of us so he would never be able to see where I was. I'm still angry with him.

I think it's also because I blame him for where I am now. If I had never met him…I might still be with my family. I wouldn't have to keep running. Running and hunting, running and hunting. Once you're in they say, you never get out. And for what? One romantic, magical, moonlit night with an angel dude that results in a relationship that goes nowhere? I think I'll pass.

You're probably thinking: _she's just in denial_. And maybe I am, I mean let's be honest. Now that I know demons and monsters are real, would I really rather be doing anything else? Aren't I saving people? Protecting people, like my family? Aren't I still with my sister and my best friend?

Still, I'm angry with him.

But I wish I wasn't. Sometimes I want so badly to forgive him. And it's stupid, so stupid...but I still wear the pentagram necklace he gave me all those years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two years later**

So this is it? The Ghostfacers home base?

Talk about humble abode.

I stand in the driveway of a small house as a few cars zip by the street behind me. It's a quiet sort of place, and I like that. I smooth back my hair and take a deep breath of sunny afternoon air. Finally, I've made it.

As I walk up to the garage, where I figure they'll be, I pass the fabled van with the Ghostfacers symbol on the side. I smile to myself, _Awesome_.

 _Knock, Knock, Knock._

After a moment, the garage door begins to lift and the first thing I see is a pair of yellow high-tops. Then a pair of denim jeans. When the door gets up past waist height, out of nowhere a rush of wind comes behind me, making my hair fly in my face.

"Hey, hey my notebook!" I hear a girl cry. As the garage door goes past my neck I hear papers being thrown about in the room.

Finally, the wind dies down, the door is fully open, and everyone looks at me.

"Hi." I say, giving an easy smile.

The gang looks at me, all of them suspicious. _And well you should be._

There's Maggie getting up from the floor, notebook in hand. There's Spruce sitting at the table in the middle of the room. There's Harry in the corner, his arms up in some sort of karate attack pose.

And then, there is Ed, who opened the garage door and is only a few feet from me.

"Yes, can I help you?" Ed asks, tilting his head back, his golden beard gleaming in the sunlight.

My eyes widen. _Oh, wow, Ed...!_ "Yeah, I um, heard you guys were looking for an intern. I'm interested in applying."

"What's your name?" Harry asks, squinting at me slightly, his dark hair in its usual fauxhawk.

I open my mouth and then freeze. Suddenly, I realize I shouldn't give my real name. Why hadn't I thought about this? What will I tell them? _Think fast, think fast!_

"Hen...rietta." I manage awkwardly.

"Henrietta?" Spruce says, eyebrow cocked, his expression somewhere between approval and curiousness.

"Urmm, yeah, but most people call me Hen." I say lamely. Even I'm asking myself why my name is Henrietta. _Now you've done it you moron._

"Okay, what do you know about ghosts?" Ed asks.

I understand now that my interview is taking place. _I could tell you more about ghosts than you'd ever believe Ed my sweet._ But that's not what they want to hear. "That they are real, and can be temporarily de-materialized by iron and usually haunt a place for a reason." I say simply.

Ed nods, accepting.

"What makes you think you can make it as a Ghostfacer?" Harry asks, walking up to stand beside Ed.

I shrug. "Ghosts don't scare me, I'm good with lore and tech and...it sounds like an adventure."

"Have you ever seen a ghost before?" Harry asks, his eyes in slits.

Seen a ghost? I can recall a time or two...or many. My eyes must glaze over for a second because when I refocus on Harry, he looks suspicious again. I shake my head."Uh, no."

Harry's suspicious look disappears. He turns to Ed and gives a look that says, "Seems okay, I'll go with it if you agree."

But Ed is undecided. "How old are you?"

I raise my eyebrows. No one's asked me that question in a long time. "I turned 21 last month." I smile. "I'm now officially legal to drink. I actually have some beer in the car. Anybody?" I jut a thumb back towards my vehicle as I survey the room. Spruce begins to raise his hand before Harry gives him a look. "We don't drink while we're on the job." He says coldly.

"Oh. Okay."

Ed looks me in the eyes. "Are you sure you're really prepared to be a Ghostfacer? It's not easy and definitely not safe."

Harry nods in agreement. Ed swallows, his gaze lowering as he continues. "Our first intern died in the line of duty and the second was scarred for life. We take this all very seriously; it's a matter of life and death."

I glance over at Maggie to see her gaze is on a framed picture of a young man on a shelf. _Corbet_. I've heard the stories, read all the files on the Ghostfacer website. A lot of people are convinced that there's a curse on the Ghostfacers, that every intern they get will get hurt or killed. That's why the internship has been open for 7 months. But all those idjiots online also believe in Santa Claus, so what do they know?

"I understand the risk, trust me, I can take care of myself."

Ed gives me the once over, taking in fully my glasses, boots, Pikachu t-shirt and medium length brown hair.

Finally, Ed nods. "Alright, you're hired."


	3. Chapter 3

"So uh, what is all this?" I ask, a nervous smile on my face.

Spruce spreads his open palms and gives a laid-back smile. "Relax Hen, this is just part of being a Ghostfacer, you'll have to get used to always being on camera."

I swallow, a wave of self-doubt washing over me. _Need make-up stat._ I've been with the Ghostfacers for a few days now, enduring what they call "training."

"Training" is having Maggie explain how all the cameras work and how to use them.

"Training" is having Harry try to throw me by asking random ghost questions.

"Training" is having Spruce, the most mellow dude in the world, interview me.

One thing that isn't part of training however, is staring at Ed when he isn't looking. I grin.

"Something funny?" Spruce asks, flipping a switch on his camera.

I immediately clear my face. "No."

"So, what do you think so far of life as a Ghostfacer?"

"It's great." I smile...and then frown. "Wait, is that camera on?"

"Yes." Spruce admits, shrugging. "But just ignore it."

I roll my eyes. Interviews.

"What do you think of the team?"

I raise an eyebrow. "If you want me to tell you what I think of you, all you have to do is ask."

Spruce chuckles.

I shrug. "Maggie's nice, really friendly. Harry...he's kind of quirky but you got to love him. You're...really mellow. Are you on drugs or something?"

Spruce laughs again. "No. What do you think of Ed?"

"Um...he's uh..." _A handsome, nerdy, take charge guy, that has exceptional beardage and glasses. Drool._ "Fine." I clear my throat and look away.

Okay, so I like Ed. That doesn't make my reasons to be here superficial though! I'm here to protect these idjiots. They're getting into things they can't protect themselves from. Two interns have been taken out of the picture because of this. Sooner or later it'll be Ed, or one of the others that gets hurt. I can't allow that. I've made it my personal mission to infiltrate their club and protect them.

"You like him don't you?" Spruce says, peering at me suspiciously from behind his glasses.

My eyes widen; in my surprise my face betraying me. "What? No."

Spruce shifts in his seat and chuckles to himself. "What is it about Ed? Every intern." He mumbles to himself.

My eyes become slits. "You are editing this damn tape. If you tell Ed I will personally kill you." I hiss, both mortified and angry.

Spruce's eyes widen in surprise, but he still looks chill. "Okaaaaaay."

"Next question."

He collects himself. "What were you doing before you came here?"

 _What was I doing before I came here?_ I was hunting. And before that...well, before that doesn't matter. "Just college." I lie. I notice a dart board on the wall behind Spruce. "Is that Sam and Dean?" I ask, staring at the dart-ridden pics of the Winchester boys on the board.

Spruce leans back and looks behind him. "Yeah, Harry and Ed especially hate them. You must have read about them off our site?"

I nod, but it's not true. I know the Winchester boys because I've met them. It's been a long time since I last saw them though. Really, I haven't seen any of my friends in a long time. When Bobby died and the Angels (That's what we called our little all girl hunting group) separated, my best friend Diamond disappeared, my big sis Brandi went with Dean and I...well, I went with nobody.

"You alright, Hen?" Spruce asks.

I get up. "No, I'm done answering questions."


	4. Chapter 4

"Emerson Psych Ward!" Ed cries out, flourishing a paper all about and in our faces.

"Ed!" Maggie says, swatting the paper away.

"This is our next case Ghostfacers!" Ed is visibly pumped, his energy filling up the room.

Harry bobs his head with conviction. "It's going to take all our skills on this one."

"So like, what's the story?" Spruce asks, leaned back in his chair.

"Found this online, three different reports of ghosts hanging in this place." Ed says, tacking the paper on the bulletin board.

"Emerson Psych Ward..." Maggie mutters, her fingers flying fast on the keyboard of her laptop as she begins her research. "Interesting..."

"Yo, Ed. Coffee?" I ask, offering him one of the cups on my tray.

He looks at me as if he hadn't noticed me standing there. "Oh, yeah, thanks." He flashes a quick smile.

Maggie speaks up. "Emerson Psych Ward, looks like it's been abandoned since 1997 due to a bigger more up to date ward being built up on Harrison."

"Yes," Ed puts his coffee down and slaps his hands together. "Abandoned. And very haunted. It's our responsibility to face these ghosts, right people?!"

"Yeah!" Everybody cries.

"Then let's go!" Harry cries out in excitement, grabbing a backpack of equipment.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Harry dial it down." Ed says. "We have a new intern, maybe we should wait."

"What? Hen?" Harry looks at me. "She's been here for over a week. She's ready."

"I'm ready." I nod, looking at Ed.

Ed takes a deep breath and shakes his head, his eyes on his sneakers. "No. We took Ambyr in too soon. I won't make the same mistake again."

Harry sighs in exasperation. "Come on Ed, her nails alone are so scary no ghost would touch her."

I give Harry a menacing look. "Thanks a lot, Harry." He's partly right though. I've glued iron chips onto the tips of all my nails. Sure it doesn't look good, but now I can practically scratch a ghost's eyes out! I think…never been tested. I'm incognito right now! I had to come up with more hidden modes of protecting myself other that wielding an iron rod all the time.

"She'll be fine." Harry continues.

Ed just chews his bottom lip, lost in thought. I know what he's debating. I know he feels responsibility for what happened to the last two interns. _It's not your fault, Ed. You did the best you could!_

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Ed asks, giving me a weird look.

I suddenly realize I'm only two feet from Ed and have my arms outstretched, about to wrap him into a hug. I drop my arms. "Nothing." I shuffle backwards quickly.

"It'll be alright, Ed. We'll keep a real close eye on her." Spruce says.

I internally groan. _This is ridiculous, I can take care of myself._

"Alright, we'll do it." Ed turns to me. "But I'm not letting you out of my sight; I want you to be by my side the whole time."

I bob my head perhaps to enthusiastically. "Yes, Mam...I mean, totally cool."

Ed raises an eyebrow at me, then turns back to the group. "Ghostfacers, head out!"


	5. Chapter 5

EMERSON PSYCH WARD 11:00 PM

"Okay, the Eagle's Nest has been established. Has everybody got their gear?" Ed asks, strapping on his night vision cameras and assorted ghostfacing technology. "We're going to stay in groups, no going solo. If anyone does get lost, they come back here. Is that clear?"

I nod, and several of the others agree too. We've broken into the abandoned psych ward and set up base at the nurse's station, a pile of laptops, wires, cameras, and tech lying around in a heap.

 _Not nearly enough weaponry. No wonder so many have been hurt._ I frown and pull open my personal backpack, retrieving a canister of salt. I pop it open and begin pouring it out on the floor, making a protective circle around the nurses station/Eagle's Nest.

"What the hell! Hey, crazy intern! What are you doing!" Harry cries, grabbing my arm.

I brush off his hand and give an angry hiss. "Making the Eagle's Nest a real safe haven. You know ghosts can't cross a salt line."

Harry rolls his eyes. "Hen, I know you're excited but listen. _We_ are the professionals. We know what we're doing here. You're just here to learn, listen, bring me coffee, and get exceptionally hot camera angles of me."

I squint hard, anger bubbling deep within my chest. _How idiotic can you be! I'm trying to save your butts here!_

"Harry. Let her be, it's probably a good idea." Maggie says, frowning at us.

"Thank you." I say exasperatedly as I pull away from Harry and finish making my circle.

Harry snorts, then leaves me be.

"Alright, gather around." Ed says, and we make a circle, linking arms. "Remember the mission. Find the ghosts, figure out who they are and why they're here, then get rid of them." He commands, and our heads nod in agreement. "Harry, you Maggie and Spruce take the west wing, Hen and I will take the east."

Then we put our hands in the middle, stacking them all together. Ed's hand ends up on top of mine. _Don't freak out, this is completely natural, don't pass out. HiheeHiheeHihee._

"GHOST..!" All the team throws their hands in the air..."Facers." Then bring them down across their faces.

"Alright team, let's go!" Ed nods to me and we take off together.

Our breathing and brisk footsteps are the only sounds that I can hear. Ed's quiet sneakers are just a gentle sliding sound, my boots thumping intimidatingly behind him. I take a deep breath, sure to keep my camera hand steady as his flashlight dances haphazardly all around us. Showing the scarred linoleum, the dusty corners of the hall, the peeling dank walls, and the reams of plastic lying around in heaps and hanging from open doorways. I've seen a lot of shit, but this? This is creepy.

"Why are we doing this at night?"

Ed glances back at me, the small light on his head cam glaring me in the eye. _Ahhh!_ I squint hard. "Well...for theatrics, this is a show. Or well, it will be if we catch some good ghost action and get picked up by some TV producer. Other than that...ghosts just seem to be more active at this time of day."

"Oh. Right." Sometimes I forget that these goofs are trying to make this a lucrative job.

"You got me in the camera?" Ed asks.

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. Are we headed anywhere particular or just wandering around?"

"We're sort of heading towards a room..." He pulls out a piece of paper and looks at it quick. "Room 234. There's been a lot of sightings and odd occurrences in that room and around that area. But if you see a room, feel anything, or if my EMF detector spikes, we'll check it out."

"Okay." Even though we are in the middle of an investigation, I can't help but feel excited that I'm with Ed. _Alone_. I wonder if my hair is okay right now. I mean, I _am_ on camera.

"AAAAAAAHHHhhhh!" Out of nowhere, a piercing scream fills my earpiece and Ed and I both clamp our free hands to our heads in pain. Immediately my heart is racing and my stomach clenches up into a knot.

"Oh, my God!" Ed cries, his eyes wide and helpless as he grabs his mike and speaks hurriedly. "Harry? Maggie? Spruce, what happened? Talk to me damn it!"

Harry's voice crackles through my earpiece, nervous and hyper. "Ed! Ed! Oh my God! We had a full on apparition! Freakiest shit I've ever seen!"

"Are you okay?" Is the first thing Ed asks but is quickly followed by the expected: "Did you get it on camera?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're heading for the Eagles Nest now!"

Ed turns to me. "Let's head back and see what they've got."

I nod my head hurriedly and we turn around and begin jogging back. What kind of horrible apparition did they see? I can only imagine what kind of ghosts would be in an old psych ward. I shudder just at the thought.

Suddenly, Ed whips out an arm and nearly clotheslines me. "Hen, did you hear that?" He whispers.

I jerk my head about, my ears straining.

"There, I think I heard it again." He says, his breath coming quick.

 _I don't hear anything!_ I try to listen harder.

"Lana?" Ed asks, his head whipping over to look at me.

My breath catches in my throat, my eyes as wide as saucers. _How...what? How does he know my real name?_ "I uh…" I fumble.

Ed's eyebrows lower down in concentration. "I think I heard it say, 'Lana'."

I want to breathe a sigh of relief, he doesn't know my name. But...something else does. Something else is calling out my name in this dark and cold place. _Calm down, it could be any ghost that's calling for some other person named Lana._ _Right, right, and um…If it is calling my name…you know I um…I'm with Ed._ Now I'm really scared. Fact of the matter is, I've not really gone on a decent hunt since the Angels broke up. I've spent the last few months sleeping in motels and eating Häagen Däas for breakfast. "Come on, let's get back to the Eagle's Nest." I tug on his sleeve.

He nods and we take off.


	6. Chapter 6

"There! There it is!" Harry cries, pointing excitedly at the screen as Maggie clicks through the frames.

I try to force my way in so I can see but Spruce is blocking my view.

"Yup," Spruce says, his tone sarcastic. "Isn't that the 'freakiest shit' you've ever seen."

"Hey!" Harry says defensively. "It may not look scary, but it spoke! And it came out of nowhere!"

As Maggie hits play so we can hear, I finally manage to push past Spruce.

"Where's Lana?" The man asks. He's standing in a dark corner, but quickly a flashlight lights him up, revealing his dirty trench coat and dark blue eyes.

I hear Harry scream like a woman, and then the man disappears.

I back away from the group. _No. Not him. Not now. Why? What's he want? He's going to blow my cover!_

"What did you just say?" Harry's giving me a weird look.

I blink. I hadn't realized I'd said anything. "What?"

"You just said, 'Balls, that idjiot.'"

Christ. I spent too many years with Bobby. I blink dumbly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's an apparition for sure." Ed is saying as he runs a hand through his hair. "But what kind of story can a…business man have here?"

When Harry isn't looking, I put my face in my hands. He's looking for me. Cas is looking for me. And he will find me...soon.

"Lana! Thank God I've finally found you!"

I hear everyone gasp and Harry squeak loudly. I open my eyes to see Cas across the Nurse's stations desk, looking right at me, his face alarmed.

"Holy Christ…uh…hey." Ed says, his eyes wide as he tries to get Cas's attention. "What's your name? Can you tell me your name?" His voice is steady, but I can tell he's super jittery right now.

Cas turns his head and stares at Ed hard. "My name is Castiel."

"Okay, okay." Ed bobs his head. "Good, good. Castiel, can you tell me how you died?"

Cas's eyebrows lower and so does his voice. "Most recently I was killed by Dick Roman. But I made it out of Purgatory..." His gaze drifts back to me and his frown deepens. "And I'm here to protect you."

"Eeerrrrrrrr." Ed says, one eye in a confused squint. Christ, they still think he's a ghost.

Rolling my eyes, I speak up. "He's not a ghost guys. He's an angel. See, he's standing in the salt line."

They all blink at me. "What?" Maggie asks.

"He's _alive_." I walk around the desk and give him a few pokes in the chest. "See? Real. But. Not. Supposed. To. Be. Here!" I poke him hard with each word.

"Lana, this is serious." Castiel grabs my hand. "You are in danger. You have to leave with me now."

I smack his chest with my free hand. "No fucking way. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Cas's eyes are wide and pleading. "You don't understand, we have to go _now_."

"Why!"

His eyes shift over to the Ghostfacers for a split second and his voice lowers. "There is a curse on these people. Every person who serves them is horribly injured or dies on their first mission."

I squint, mouth open. "Are you kidding me? You too? What the fuck, Cas?"

He exhales quickly and licks his lips as he scans the room. "I am not making jokes. We have to leave now."

"No." I shake my head and put my hands on my hips. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a bad-ass butt-kicker now. I can take care of myself. In fact, I'm here to protect these boobs."

One of the group speaks. "I resent that statement."

"Shut the hell up, Harry." I hear Maggie whisper. But I don't spare them a glance, my eyes are on Cas.

Cas grasps my shoulders tightly. I've never seen him so nervous. "You don't owe these people anything, Lana. Leave with me now. Don't make me take you."

"I said no!" I brush off his hands. "I'm staying here."

"Lana, please...if you stay you'll…I don't want you to get hurt."

I pause, his eyes, imploring and fearful, staring into mine. He's really worried about me. I swallow. _That's just because…he doesn't care anymore about you than…He's just…_ "Cas...I—" Then I glance over at the others.

"What the fuck! Are you recording this?! You gotta be fucking kidding me right now!"

Spruce looks up from his camera, his face slightly guilty. "Sorry, just seems like you guys have some good drama."

Giving an angry groan, I turn back to Cas. I can't believe that he is here spewing bullshit about that dumb curse. But if he believes it…could it be true? _No. It's just stupidity, I'm not in any danger. At least not in any I can't handle! We haven't even seen a spirit here yet._

"Cas…it's sweet that you came. That you're looking out for me but…I'm not leaving here."

Cas looks down at the floor, then turns and walks a few feet away, his back to me. "Am I to understand that your position cannot be changed then?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, so, if I can just jump in here." Ed says, coming around the desk. "If this guy's not a ghost, who the hell is he and why is he here?"

"Yeah, how did he get in here?" Maggie asks.

"And what is your relationship with him?" Spruce adds in.

 _Arrgggg! Now he's done it. He's gone and blown my cover!_ I cross my arms. "This is Cas and he's…an angel. So, he gets around pretty much to anywhere he wants to be. I know him because he's…well, because we met a long time ago."

"A what?" Ed says, shining his flashlight at Cas's back.

"An angel." Cas says, turning back around.

"Yeaaaaaaah…okay." Ed drawls, looking unconvinced. "So what is he doing here? I thought you signed the terms of employment. No telling family or friends where our Facing happens." Ed frowns at me.

I shrug. "I didn't tell him, I don't know how the hell he got here."

"I came because I heard she was working for your group." Cas speaks up. "There is a curse on you and your friends, and by working for you, she is endangering her life. I don't want her to get hurt so I came here to take her away." His eyes make their way to me, big, blue, and doleful. "I've failed to be there for you so many times before, Lana…I won't make that mistake again. If you won't leave…I'm staying here with you."

My jaw works, but I don't say anything. I don't want him to care. If he didn't care at all, I could live with that. It's the in-between that gets me. The " _I'm not ever going to be in love with you but care about you loads_ " that burns my biscuits.

Ed looks from Cas to me and finally, comes over, taking my arm and leading me away from the group. "Hey…Lana is it?"

I nod my head.

"I don't know what's going on here but is it true what this guy's saying about a curse?"

"No of course not he's…" _An angel who probably knows what he's talking about_. "A little odd, wants people to refer to him as an angel, yah know? He's just a worry wart."

Ed frowns and strokes his beard. "I want to ask you why you've lied to us about your name and ask how this guy got in here but…"

"You don't think you really want to know the answer?"

"Well…" He chews his lip, his green eyes dark. "We're in the middle of a mission here, as long as this isn't going to affect anything right now, tonight's my night to face these ghosts. But I want a full explanation later."

I look over at the others, Cas is staring cautiously at Spruce's camera as he interviews him.

Ed isn't throwing me out of the team. Yet. Tonight is my chance to prove my usefulness. "Of course. Cas wants to stay though." I push up my glasses.

Ed sighs. "I suppose as long as he doesn't get in the way or something…"


	7. Chapter 7

"What is the importance of me carrying this device?" Castiel asks, his gaze uncertain on the hand-held camera they placed in his grasp.

Ed glances back at me, incredulity painted all over his expression. "Where did you find this guy?"

"He's uh…a little technologically challenged. Just make sure Ed and I are in the little box Cas, that's all."

"Is it some sort of weapon?"

"Lord of the Rings." I hear Ed hiss in front of me as we make our way down the hallways.

This is weird. Me walking down the creepy hallways of an old psych ward with my ex semi-boyfriend and… _possibly_ future boyfriend? Ugg, who am I kidding, I haven't had a date since Cas, and that was ages ago. My love life sucks.

 _Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeew!_

Ed starts a little as his EMF detector spikes. He grabs his mike. "Harry? Can you hear me? We've made our way to the hallway that contains room 234 and I'm getting a spike here. We're going to investigate."

"I hear you Ed, be careful." Harry's staticky voice says in my ear.

We approach the room of 234 and see that there is no door, just a sheet of plastic covering the opening. It sways slightly from our movement through the hall.

My breath catches in my throat. There is the silhouette of a person displayed through the plastic.

"Hello? Is there someone in here?" Ed asks, his hand reaching out to brush away the plastic.

He jerks it back, and the room is empty.

Our flashlights show only broken furniture covered in dust, an old bed in the corner and a barred window on the right. Perhaps it was only the tall headboard matched with the dresser that made it look like someone was standing there.

"Who's room was this?" I ask as we tentatively walk in.

"A lot of people's." Ed whispers. "Too many different patients for me to narrow down who might be haunting it."

 _The walls are raining crimson…_

I jerk my head back. "Did you say something?" I ask Cas.

He frowns at me. "No."

 _Painted into pictures…_

What was that hiss?

Ed holds out his EMF detector. "Hello? I'm calling out to the restless spirit that resides in this building. We just want to help. We don't mean any harm. Can you show yourself to us? Can you give us a sign that you're here?" Ed calls out, turning in a slow circle as he surveys the room.

Nothing happens.

Ed takes a deep sigh. "Let's try the next room over."

We walk out and I freeze in my tracks.

There's a man standing at the end of the hall, his back to us. His lab coat was probably white at one time, but is covered with stains, most of them dark…like blood.

"Jesus Christ." Ed whispers, shining his flashlight on the man. "Hello? Can you hear me? Don't be alarmed, we're the Ghostfacers, we're here to help." He calls.

The man doesn't respond.

Ed cautiously takes a step forward.

Then the man turns away from the wall, his long blonde hair falling into and over dark eyes, his skin opaque. From his hands drips a dark liquid, falling silently in drops to the floor. And on the wall…

 _Painted into signs…_ the halls whisper.

"Cas! Run!" I scream, shoving him hard. But before Cas can do anything, the man grins, slaps the symbol on the wall, and Cas explodes into a flash of white light.

"Cas!" I scream, lunging after his disappearing form. But he's gone. I whip my head back to the man but he's gone too.

"Oh my God! What just happened?" Ed asks, eyes wide as he whips his head about the room.

"That ghost banished Cas!" I gasp.

"What?!" He asks, face uncomprehending.

I look back at the wall, where the bloody symbol still resides. "Oh, no…ghosts don't bleed, Ed."

"What?!" He repeats.

I run to the symbol. "Ghosts don't bleed! It had to cut someone to get this blood!"

Ed blinks at me for a moment, then his jaw drops in horror. "Harry! Maggie! Are you guys okay! Talk to me!" He cries into his mike.

A ghost just banished Cas. But what ghost would know the sigil to banish angels with? This is bad.

Ed is freaking, I can hear him talking rapidly into his mike, and someone is answering him now. But their words are just noise in my ears. I glance back at the spot where Cas was standing.

 _Alouette, je te plumerai…_


	8. Chapter 8

"Maggie!" Ed cries as we run into the room.

"I'm alright, It's just a cut." She says, her voice shaking. She's on the ground, her hand wrapped around a bandaged part on her arm.

"Oh Lord, Maggie! Are you okay? Did it attack you? How bad is it?" Ed asks, his eyes wide with concern for his sister.

"Really, it's okay, Ed. Spruce patched me up."

Harry is kneeling down next to her on the floor right next to Ed. He pulls a strand of hair out of her face, concern etched all over his features. "That thing came out of nowhere and was gone just as fast. It had a knife or something, grabbed Mag's here and drug her off."

Maggie looks to Ed. "But it was gone in only a few moments...I don't understand."

Ed's lips harden into a frown. "All it wanted was your blood. For whatever reason it painted this ...thing on the wall and..." He looks up at me as if expecting me to give him a reasonable answer.

I look around, all of them are staring at me.

I clear my throat and push back my shoulders, adopting the leader pose I've seen so many before me put on when things go bad. "It banished my friend. Somehow it knew that he was an angel. I don't know how it knew how to banish him though. We need to know its past, stat."

The gang all look at me like I'm crazy, giving me odd stares, then look back to their real leader, Ed. But his eyes are still on me. His gaze is hard, as if he's seeing me for the first time and not sure he likes what he sees. Unlike the others, he saw Cas get banished, he knows that something out of his understanding is happening. But he's not sure he trusts me yet. I swallow hard but keep my jaw stiff. Finally, he looks down at his sister. "She's right, let's get back to the Eagle's Nest."

"What in God's name is going on?" Ed demands, pushing me into the wall.

"Back off!" I bark as I shove him back. The rest of the gang is just around the corner, at the Nurses station, trying to figure out who it was we saw.

"Something freaky is going on. Freakier than usual. And you've just been spewing nonsense from the beginning. I want answers!" He says harshly, tugging down his shirt. "Now Maggie's hurt and..." He runs a disgruntled hand through his hair, not bothering to finish his sentence. After a moment though, his face softens and when his eyes flick up to meet mine, they're concerned. "You're friend, Castiel. What happened to him...is he... _what_ is he?"

I crack my knuckles to ease my nervousness. "Do you believe in God, Ed?"

He squints at me. "God?"

"Yes."

"I...yeah."

"I know you've seen things, things that don't make sense. I know that you believe in ghosts...well...there are other things out there too. God is real, Lucifer is real. The world is filled with supernatural things. Demons, shapeshifters, vampires...and angels, like my friend Cas."

Ed takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. "Oh my God. Really? And you're still saying he's an angel? You gotta be kidding me...You're crazy."

"No, I'm serious. I'm a hunter, I hunt evil creatures that harm humanity and kill them. Most people don't even know they're there, or don't believe in them...kind of like ghosts." I come closer to him, my hands knotted together in front of me. "Please, you have to believe me. I'm not crazy. You saw what happened to Cas."

Ed closes his eyes and frowns. "I don't know what I saw."

"Please...I'm telling you the truth."

Finally Ed opens his eyes and looks into mine. "Lana I..." His face becomes pained. "I'm sorry."

"None of these guys look like him." Maggie sighs at her laptop. "Ed, you got a better look at him, do any of these guys look familiar?"

Ed comes over and peers at the screen, I can see the faces of different men reflected in his glasses. "No. That's all the male staff that's worked here?"

"Yes, our guy just isn't here."

"Then where did he come from?" Harry asks.

"I don't know..." Ed mutters. "This is weird."

"Um." Spruce speaks up. "Ed, what happened to that other guy that broke in here? Hen...er Lana wasn't making any sense earlier."

Ed looks up at me, his expression slightly guilty as he lies. "He uh, freaked when we saw the ghost and disappeared."

Maggie is chewing her bottom lip. "How can we deal with this ghost if we can't find out who it was?"

"Well...I think it has something to do with that room. 234? The sighting was right by there." Ed scratches his chin.

"Mmmpphhhblurbthhmmm!"

"Shush up crazy intern! We're trying to do our thing here!" Harry says to me, giving me a dirty look.

"Fooogggyuuhawwy!"I scream through my gag. Convinced that I'm bonkers, the idjiots have tied me to a chair and gagged me. I could have fought them and still be free, but I might have had to hurt them...and it wasn't something I wanted to do. Still, I'm righteously pissed right now. The nerve of these nerds!

Harry shakes his head at me. "Spruce, I told you she needed another strip of duct tape. That'd shut her up."

"Foooggaahlofyuuuu! Immmtwyintohewpyuuu!"

Maggie swallows, looking upset. "Are you sure we really have to keep her tied up like this? I mean, she seemed pretty harmless..."

Ed sighs and doesn't look at me. "Do you have something important to say that isn't gibberish, Lana?"

If my eyes could light fire to someone, Ed would be an inferno. "Yessh." I nod.

Ed gives a motion and Spruce rips the duct tape off.

Gasping, my lips smarting with pain, I clench my teeth. "Ow. The reason he's not showing up as a doctor is probably because he isn't one. Check the patients."

Maggie shakes her head. "It'd take forever, there's been a ton."

"Then search for a male patient with...paranoia, delusions, and...well...a patient that was under suicide watch." These are the things a hunter would be labeled as.

She looks to Ed, who shrugs, then Maggie turns to her computer and begins typing.

"There's about 37 in the history of the ward. Here's all of them." She brings up their pictures and Ed leans over her, scanning their faces intently.

"There, that one. That's him." Ed says suddenly, pointing, and Maggie turns the laptop so I can see the picture of a young man with blonde hair and dark eyes. "Seth William Haysbert. Died in 199...7. The year the ward closed." Ed's eyebrows draw together. "So that's him. But why was he wearing a doctor's coat? And why has no one else that's been here described a ghost like him?"

"Yeah." Harry says, his feet on the nurses station table. "It was always a cold room, a girl pleading or a female ghost, not a male one that people described."

"And why is he still here?" Spruce asked.

Suddenly Maggie gasped. "June 16th 1997, Seth got out of control and stabbed 7 staff." Maggie's face fell. "All seven that he stabbed died. He had some sort of homemade poison on the knife, the knife was a spoon that he sharpened and...he killed himself too."

"And his body?" Ed asks.

"The ward had it cremated."

Ed nods, then turns to us."Okay Ghostfacers, now we know the story. This ghost is extremely dangerous, I want everyone to be on their guard. We're going to head out and try to find whatever is keeping this ghost here, it can be physical remains, or an item they had an attachment to. Understood?"

"Hey, uh...are you going to let me go now?" I ask, eyes wide.

Ed considers me for a moment, then shakes his head. "No. You're going to stay here."

"No! I can help you! I know more that—" Harry silences me with the duct tape again. I shoot daggers with my eyes at all of them.

"Maggie, which room was his?" Ed asks.

"Room 234."

"Of course...Maggie you're coming with me, we're going to check his room. Spruce, you and Harry check out the place where he died."

"Hallway 12." Maggie adds.

"Alright team." They gather into their circle, yell "Ghostfacers!" and then leave me all alone with nothing to look at but the computers displaying a live feed from their cameras.


	9. Chapter 9

I see it sticking out of my backpack, so close, yet so far away. _If I can just hop this chair over there..._

With a squeak, I manage to drag my chair across the floor an inch. _Come on...come on..._

I hop it a little more, then stop and take a breather. I've been doing this for the last five minutes, but progress is slow.

My eyes stare hungrily at the tip of my coveted object.

A Snickers bar. _Must have!_

I don't care if I have duct-tape on my face, I'm so hungry I'll eat that bar through it if I have to!

"Coommtomahma."I grunt, hopping the chair a little further.

 _Whoosh._

I pop up my head to see Cas standing in front of me. "Lana, are you alright?" He says, hurriedly rushing to me and ripping the duct tape off my face.

"Cas, thank God!"

"What happened? Why are you detained?" He asks, going behind me and untying me from the chair.

"After you got banished, Ed was freaked out. He wanted answers and when I told him, he, of course, thought I was crazy and tied me up. I knew he would...I just thought...I don't know, that maybe he would trust me." I feel my bonds go slack and the ropes fall to the floor.

Standing, I turn and face my rescuer.

"I'm glad you're still okay." He takes my hand. "Now let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, no!" I pull away and snatch my backpack. "My position hasn't changed. I'm staying."

Castiel huffs, frustrated. "You saw that spirit. It's strong and dangerous, you are not safe here."

I pull out my candy bar, but as I look at it, my appetite of earlier is gone. Taken away by Cas's presence. "I'm not safe anywhere Cas." I say softly as I tear open the wrapper anyway. "Thanks for freeing me. Now please leave."

He comes closer to me and searches my face. "I have hurt you in some way. You used to treat me like...like you..." He looks to the wall. "Like I was a friend. What have I done?" His eyes find mine again. "Why are you angry with me?" He demands, his voice low and gravely.

I stare into his eyes. In this light, they are so dark they almost look black. I frown. He has really done nothing wrong...it has always been my fault that I feel this way towards him. Angry at myself for falling in love with him when it was impossible. Blaming him for all the things that have gone wrong in my life.

His mouth is barely open, those soft pink lips that once whispered to me that my soul was much older than just 17. That once kissed me and claimed me and made me feel like I was really living. That slender nose, that square jaw covered in stubble, those eyebrows now drawn together in worry. Even now, after all this time, if he told me he loved me...I'd...I'd...

I sob and clamp a hand to my mouth.

"Lana? What is wrong?" He puts his hands on my shoulders, leaning even closer, his voice filled with concern.

"Castiel..." I'm losing it, I'm losing it, I'm losing...

I drop my candy bar and kiss him.

His hands clench on my shoulders for a moment, as if he might push me away, but changes his mind and doesn't. He pulls me closer and then slips his hands in my hair.

I know this is fucked up. We will never work. I'm just kissing him now because I want to feel wanted again. I want to feel like I'm cared for, like I'm loved and needed.

Because I'm worried, deep down, that no one does. My family doesn't know me anymore, my sister has replaced me with a man, my teacher, who had been like an uncle to me, has died, and my best friend has disappeared. I am all alone.

He nips softly at my upper lip and my hands make themselves at home in his thick dark hair.

I love him. I love his rare smiles and occasional innocence. I love his strength and his intelligence. I love his hair and his face and his words and his caring nature towards people.

But.

I do not love his job.

He is an angel. Will always be one. His life is full of fate and twisted lies and painful sacrifices. He has made bad decisions, been blinded by his greed, killed people and been torn apart. Done things that can't be forgiven or looked over. Loved other women besides me, gone and left me for years...

We will never be what I dreamed of us being when I was 17 and wearing a yellow dress on a beach in the moonlight. We may both care about each other, but it's not enough.

This is a goodbye kiss. This is just for old times sake. And I think he knows it too.

I pull away and slide my hands from his neck to his chest, my eyes on his tie. "You read my mind didn't you."

His chest rises and falls four times.

"Yes."

I back away. "Then you understand."

"Lana." His voice cracks.

I gasp and meet his gaze with wide eyes.

"You are the smartest woman I have ever known." He turns away so I can't see his face. "I'm bad luck. You can see it. I'm more cursed than the Ghostfacers will ever be. Every time I'm resurrected it only gets worse for everyone. My fate is set."

"Cas..."

"No. We both know..." He pauses and begins again. "I have always been fascinated by you. You are...you were the first person who made me feel something. But I'm afraid I...we...we are not in love. Not like we should be. You and I..."

"I..." I wet my lips. "Maybe if..."

"If we were different people..."

I pull something from beneath my shirt. "Turn around."

He looks over his shoulder. The necklace he gave me glints softly.

"I thought you threw it away..."

I clench it tightly, then drop it, leaving it swinging across my chest. "Never." I walk to him and take his hand. "Just like I will never forget our time together."

He releases a shaky breath then opens his mouth to speak.

But before he can, a rush of wind roars through the hallways and hits us. I cover my eyes and turn my head away. When it passes, I look up and see that the salt circle surrounding the Nurse's station, surrounding us in safety, has been blown away.

 _Oh no._

I run to my backpack and pull out my sawed-off-shotgun, loaded with salt shells. "It's coming Cas, go protect the Ghostfacers!" I say, my nerves on edge as I scan the four hallways that lead to this station.

"No, you're the one in danger. I'm staying here." Cas says determinedly.

It happens too fast for me to react. One minute I'm standing there, next to Cas, next I'm hit by an unseen force and thrown to the wall. I slide down in a heap, groaning, "Cas, in my backpack, grab the iron rod!"

Cas goes for it, and I try to stand. If it would just show itself, I could get a shot off!

I scream as my feet are pulled out from underneath me and my chin hits the ground with a crack, jarring my teeth and head.

"Lana!" I hear Cas yell as, faster than should be possible, I am dragged across the floor into a room.

I see Cas run to the doorway of the room and then freeze.

"Lana! I can't get in!" He cries, his hands frantically searching across an invisible door blocking his entry.

The man who drug me in rises, a smirk on his face. I go to roll over but before I can, with a flick of his hand, the small cot flips and leaps on top of my bottom half, pinning me to the ground. I cry out in pain.

Then the ghost flickers and disappears.

"Lana! Are you alright!" Cas cries, still pounding at the invisible doorway.

I blink and look around. Of course Cas can't enter, there are countless signs drawn on the walls of this room. Signs that stop angels from entering.

"I'm okay, get my shot-gun, I dropped it. Throw it to me!"

Cas disappears from sight and I try to push the bed off of me but it is too heavy.

 _Alouette, gentile Alouette,_

 _Alouette, je te plumerai._

My eyes widen. That singing again. "Cas! Cas!" I scream, squirming underneath the weight of the cot.

Then, for the first time in my life, I hear Cas scream.

"Cas!" I yell, before something explodes by the nurses station and my room is lit up by light. Then...

Silence.

"Cas!" I call. "Are you okay? Cas?"

 _Je te plumerai la tete,_

 _Je te plumerai la tete,_

The ghost comes walking around the corner into my room, singing softly to himself. "Et la tete, Et la tete, Alouette, Alouette, Oh!" He stops and smiles softly. "Well, birdy boy's gone. Which leaves just you and me."

His voice is hollow and distant, almost as if he's in another room. I snarl. "What did you do to Cas?!"

He crouches down besides me, his body flickering slightly. "He's fine. But I can't say the same for you."

I suck in ragged breaths, trying to think of something, anything, that can help me in this situation. "What do you want from me!" I hiss.

It's still the middle of the night, the only light in the room is from him and the moonlight coming from the window. It makes it hard to see, and the shadows on his face are so dark that the place where his eyes should be are like pits. "I don't want anything from you." He whispers. "I just want you dead."

"Listen to me Seth...I know you are a hunter. Or you were. No one else could know all these symbols for stopping angels. I'm a hunter too, help me help you move on."

"Help me...? You remind me a lot of her." He says, tipping his head to one side as he regards me. "That's why I'm here...because you're just like her."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't think I can't feel it? The angel. The guy in the glasses. You're just like her. But..." He frowns. "She begged more."

"Go to hell." I snarl.

"I don't think it'll be to hard though, to make you beg like she did." He brings up his other hand, which had been hiding behind his coat. He's holding my 10 inch hunting blade.

I swallow, my heart stopping. No...oh, fuck. Somebody will save me right? Cas? But I don't even know what happened to him. The Ghostfacers? But this ward is huge, they won't hear me scream. He's right...it's just me and him.

"This was hers you know..." He says, looking down at his coat. "If you were wearing it it'd be even more fitting but..." He smiles. "I'm not really here, and neither is this coat. So...let's begin."


	10. Chapter 10

_Please...please God...let Harry and Ed find this ghosts attachment to this place and destroy it. Please..._

"Grrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I scream from behind clenched teeth, my body burning with agony. All my senses are yelling for me to run away, get away from this pain, make it stop. I gasp and my fingers claw at the dirty tiled floor, scraping clean spots with my nails.

But there is nowhere for me to go and nothing I can do.

"Beg for me to stop and I will." He whispers behind me, the blade wet with blood, it's newest creation a cut down my back.

I sob, my breaths ragged. "No..." I grit my teeth and try to keep myself together. If I beg, he will only finish me off. I have to put up with as much as I can. But I don't even want to know what my back looks like. Seeing my sliced arms in front of me is bad enough. "Fuck you..."

He stands and walks in front of me, his head hanging low as he surveys my face. "You're much stronger than she was..."

"Who. The fuck. Is SHE?!" I scream.

"Ada Yale." His answer echoes through the room and empty hallways.

"You killed her...why?" If I can keep him talking... _please God...no more cuts..._

"She was, like you, philandering...two-faced." He lifts up his knife and catches a bit of moonlight on the crimson and steel. "Oh, courting is pleasure..." He begins singing softly. "...and parting is grief. But a false-hearted lover...is worse than a thief."

I groan and press my face into the floor. "Screw you and your fucking messed up sing-along-songs. I'm not two-faced."

"Liar." He hisses, leaning down next to me on my left side. He picks up my left hand, his skin icy cold against mine. "The ring finger...for wedding bands..." He raises the knife.

"No!" I grab my left arm with my right hand and try to pull away from him. I scratch at his form with my nails. But he barely flickers, the iron chips on my nails have been rubbed off by everything else I've been through. "No!"

He swings down.

"Lana! Lana wake up! Stay with me, Lana. Please!" Someone is holding my face in their hands. "Please! Lord don't do this! We need you! Wake up!"

My eyes snap open to see Ed's face. He has that look that expresses so much fear, at first you think it can't be real. He can't really be looking at me like that. Because that would mean things are really, really, really bad.

"Lana, I'm here. We're going to get you out of here just hold on!"

"Ed!" Maggie cries. "We can't hold it off much longer!"

They've pushed the cot off of my lower half. I turn my head and see that Harry, Maggie and Spruce are standing around Ed and I in a circle, each armed with iron rods.

I see a flicker, a man-like shape begin to appear on my right, and Harry swipes it away with his rod.

"Someone needs to get the salt and make a circle!" Harry cries. "Or he'll just keep reappearing!"

"No." I groan. "No...Ed listen."

He cups my cheek with his hand. "Yes, I'm here, what is it?"

"He wants me...not you guys."

"We are not leaving you." Ed coughs out. I hear the swish of iron rods as the others struggle to keep Seth at bay.

"No, listen. Where was it that the female ghost kept reappearing?"

"Wha..." He blinks a few times, his face disbelieving and pained. Then it clears."Room 234."

"I need to go there."

"No, you need a hospital." His gaze flickers down to my arms, which have been wrapped in the remains of Ed's jacket. My blood is soaking through and his face is filled with guilt. _It's not your fault, Ed._

"No." I grab his arm with my right hand and slowly pull myself up some. "I have to go to that room. It's the only way to stop him."

"No...I don't understand...why can't someone else..." Ed looks away and begins to shake his head until I put my bloody hand on his face, forcing him to look me in the eyes.

"Ed. Please. Trust me."

"Ed! What do we do?!" Maggie cries.

"Help me up..." I plead.

Finally, Ed takes my hands and pulls me to my feet. "Everybody, we're going to try to make it to room 234!"

"We got you covered, Ed!" Spruce says.

"You ready? Can you make it?" Ed asks me.

The back of my shirt is wet with blood, my whole body feels torn to pieces. I look to my left hand...and then I see. I quickly drop the hand from sight, which has been wrapped in a piece of someone's shirt to staunch the bleeding, and nod. "I can make it." _My fingers...my fingers, my fingers, my fingers, my fingers, my fingers—_

Ed takes my good hand and rushes out the door, the others right behind us. I run by my backpack and slip out of his grasp so I can pick up my sawed-off-shotgun.

The hallways seem too long as we run down them. My heart is racing, only one thought on my mind, _Where is Seth?_ I look behind us and see the three others right on our tail.

I look at the number of one room as we rush by. 212.

Then Maggie is thrown into the air and into a room, the door slamming shut after her.

"Mags!" Harry screams, slowing down, turning around to go back to her.

Instead he's thrown back into a room of his own.

"Lana, stay with me!" Ed yells, grabbing my arm.

I hear Spruce call out and I know that he's just been thrown in a room too. Seth's picking them off, getting them out of the way. They will be okay, it is me that he wants. Because I remind him of someone...

He appears 10 feet in front of me, that same dark grin on his face. I swing up my shot-gun and blow him away.

"Faster Ed! Faster!" I scream as we run through his quickly reforming ectoplasm.

Suddenly we turn and Ed and I push past a sheet of plastic. 234, we made it!

"What do we do now?!" Ed pants, his grip on his iron rod tight.

"We'll be safe here. I need to find—"

 _Shluck._

 _My back…_ Horrified, I turn my head to see Seth has stuck my hunting blade in my lower back. "No...I." He pulls out his knife and I fall to the floor.

"Lana!" Ed screams, lunging forward to swipe Seth away with his rod. But Seth flicks his wrist and throws Ed back and into the wall. The dresser leaps to life and pins him there. "Lana! No! Lana!" Ed pushes against the dresser, but can't get free.

I lay on the ground, my hands on my stomach, my eyes watery. _Now you've done it...some hunter you are...stupid ghost kills you...idjiot...Bobby would be ashamed...I was just so sure that..._

"Are you going to beg yet...?" He whispers, leaning down to me.

"Get away from her!" Ed screams.

"Fuck you...just get it over with." I cough, my right hand feebly feeling the ground for my shot-gun that I dropped.

Seth raises the knife.

Nooooo!" Ed cries.

And I close my eyes.

"Seth."

I open my eyes and see Seth standing up, looking over his shoulder at a young woman. "Ada?" His voice shakes.

She's wearing a button down shirt and dress pants, her hair long and brown, with bright green eyes. Like Seth, she's extremely pale and flickers slightly.

"I knew you'd come..." I gasp, relief washing over me.

Her eyes flick down to me for a moment, then go back to Seth.

Seth's hands shake. "What are you doing here?"

"I've always been here, in this room...because of you." Her voice echoes. "Because you murdered me for nothing. I wasn't in love with you. James was my boyfriend..." She shakes her head, her fists clenching. "You were just my patient...I was trying to help you..." Her voice begins to shake with anger.

"Ada...I..." That's all Seth gets out before Ada tackles him and with a piercing shriek they explode into white light.

I roll my head so my cheek rests on the floor. Thank God.

It's over.

"Lana!" Ed cries, pushing the dresser off him and rushing to me. "Lana, oh God no." His eyes go to my stomach and the blood pooling around me. "This is all my fault. Oh my God, Lana, I did this..." His face pinches up and tears begin to flow down his face. "No." He sobs, taking my hand. "I'm so sorry...the curse, I should have protected you. Lana!"

"Ed..." I cough and blood spurts out of my mouth. "This isn't your fault...shit happens." I manage.

"No...you're dying. No God!" He weeps, gripping my hand tightly.

"It was sooner or later for me Ed..." I wheeze, trying to stay alive. "I just wish I'd had the time...the chance to know you better..."

"Lana," He cups my face, his voice shaking. "Don't do this...don't die on me...please." He pleads. I see Maggie, Spruce and Harry standing in the doorway, their faces stricken.

I suck in a rasping breath, my vision going dark. _Should I tell him how much I like him? No...it'll only make my death more painful for him._ "Ed...don't blame yourself, you're a great leader and a great guy...be strong..."

"No! Lana!" Ed cries.


	11. Chapter 11

The sky is a cloudless blue today. I claim a deep breath of the morning air as the ornamental trees around us, their leaves wet from the rain in the night before, sway softly, dripping water down onto the freshly mowed grass.

I dab my fingers in a pool of rainwater that's collected on the wooden picnic bench I sit upon and begin pulling out streams, like fingers, from the circle until it takes the shape of the sun.

"Are you really sure you want to stay on with us?"

I look up at Ed and smile softly. "Of course. I'm a hunter, I've seen a lot of shit; one crummy mission isn't going to make me hit the hills. Besides, that curse turned out to be pretty darn true, and until I can learn how to break it... being your permanent intern should fix things." But then my smile wavers. "Unless of course...I mean, if you guys don't want me." I sigh. "I'd understand, I lied to you guys a load."

"No, no, no." Ed shakes his head quickly. "Not at all, we'd...I mean..." He thinks for a moment. "I can't speak for the whole team but..." He smiles quickly. "I'd like you to stay."

I smile down at the table. "Thanks Ed." I'm glad now that I didn't tell him that I liked him, that would make this really awkward. "I mean," I shrug. "The curse was just that you'd get hurt real bad or killed on the first mission, right? Not the next ones. So things will be more normal."

"Yeah..." Ed says distantly, his eyes on the slowly rising sun.

"Nice yard by the way." I adjust my glasses.

Ed looks back to me and smiles. "Thanks."

After I "died" in Ed's arms, Cas appeared from wherever it was that Seth threw him (He wouldn't tell me where, and I think it's because he feels bad that a ghost kicked his ass. Hey, I can't laugh, it kicked mine too.) and healed me just in time. After that Cas poofed us out of that pit and back to home base. So in the end, everything's okay.

"Your friend Cas couldn't do anything for your hand?" Ed asks, his eyes saddened and on my left hand, where my ring finger and pinky are gone.

I shake my head. "No, he can heal, but he can't reform missing digits." I miss my fingers. It's freaky not having them. Now I have to learn how to play guitar with my right hand. But...it could have been _a lot_ worse.

Ed swallows, his gaze has that shadow of guilt in it again.

"Really though, it's fine. Don't worry about it." I bring up my hand. "Look, I can still poke people in the eyes, I'm almost perpetually giving everyone the peace sign, and, most importantly, I can still give people the double flip off." I perform the last one as proof.

Ed snorts and looks away, but a smile is back on his lips.

"Besides, now that you guys know I'm a hunter and you believe in angels and such..."

Ed nods. They all believe now that they've seen Cas's healing powers and poofing in action.

"Maybe I can teach you guys some tricks I've picked up. But of course, only if you want me to, you're the leader."

Ed looks thoughtful, his hands wrapped around his coffee mug. "Yeah, if it'll make everyone safer."

"Sweet." I finish my coffee and take a deep breath. "Well, I'm going to go back inside, you want anything special for breakfast?"

Ed shakes his head. "Nah, I'm not hungry."

"Okay."

Ed watched her leave and sighed.

Castiel was probably right. He'd doubted it before but now...

Ed took off his glasses and rubbed his face. The other day, Castiel had appeared when he'd been driving to the mini-mart and had a talk with him.

Ed was sure that Lana and Castiel had been an item at one time or another, though Cas had made it sound as if his care for her was more parental than anything else...

"But the curse was just for the first mission, she'll probably be fine now." Ed remembered saying.

Cas's face was stern. "But that's only as far as we've seen an intern go. Things could continue to go bad…and I won't always be there to save her. Listen very closely, Ed. You are to look out for her at all times."

Ed nodded. "Of course, I look out for all my team."

Cas's attitude had changed then, gotten diminutive. Sadder. "She likes you you know." He'd said softly.

Ed had blinked, his face blank. "What?"

Cas looked up at him, his face weary. "Don't break her heart...take good care of her. And if you need me, pray for me...I'll come if I can." Then he'd disappeared.

Ed zipped up his jacket, then poured his remaining coffee into the grass. He'd definitely look out for her, no one else was going to get hurt on his team ever again. He'd had his fill of that.

But she liked him?

She was certainly someone different. Ed smiled to himself.

It'd be fun getting to know her.

THE END

 **And now, a note from thine humble author...**

 _Ghost, Ghostfacers! We face the ghosts when others will not. Ghost, Ghostfacers! Stay in the kitchen when the kitchen is hot! Ghost, GHOSTFACERS!_

Yay! It is done! I hope you enjoyed this fanfic, and felt I did a good job with the story and characters. I know this is not your typical Supernatural fanfic, it has no Sam or Dean! But my favorite characters are the Ghostfacers and Cas, so, that's who I wrote about!

I don't know if you recognized the songs that Seth was singing. They are old simple ones for kids, Alouette, and On Top of Old Smokey. Alouette is a French song that I'd heard many times as a kid. It is quite beautiful, but the translation is really creepy. It's about taking apart a bird.

Little Lark, gentle lark,

I will pluck you.

I will pull the head,

I will pull the head,

Pull the head, pull the head,

Lark, Lark. Oh!

And so on describing ripping off bird parts. What a dumb-ass song right? But I felt it worked for Cas, since he has wings and sometimes people refer to him as a bird. Thanks for reading it! I look forward to reading any reviews or comments people would like to make! I love to hear what people think, good or bad, so please write me!

SLUG MAMMA OUT!


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